Do I need a permit to float Middle Fork Salmon River?
Yes. You need a permit to float Middle Fork Salmon River in Idaho Wild Rivers, and it is awarded by lottery rather than first come, first served.
Lottery permit
What the Middle Fork Salmon River permit costs and covers
- Fee
- $6 lottery application or reservation fee + $4 per person per day
- Group size limit
- 24 people
- Applications open
- December 1
- Applications close
- January 31
- Results
- February 14
- Season starts
- May 28
- Season ends
- September 3
What the rules require
- Private permit required; control-season launches (May 28 - September 3) come from the December-January lottery
- Control-season group size and trip length are linked: 1-10 people up to 8 days, 11-20 people up to 7 days, 21-24 people up to 6 days
- Outside the control season the maximum group size is 24 and the maximum trip length is 8 days
- A maximum of 12 watercraft per permit for August 8 through September 15 launches, to limit impacts on spawning Chinook salmon
- Your group must stay in the assigned camps listed on the permit
- Required equipment: portable toilet, fire pan, fire blanket, ash container, shovel, bucket, mesh strainer, and Aquatic Invasive Species stickers
- No soap in any stream, river, lake or hot spring - biodegradable soap included
- Do not cut standing trees, live or dead; burn only driftwood or dead downfall
- The permit holder must be present and accompany the group the entire trip; reservations are not transferable and there are no alternate trip leaders
- Cancel at least 21 days before a control-season launch or the late cancellation penalty blocks you from a permit and from the lottery on this river for three years
Published rules for the Middle Fork Salmon River, quoted as written.
Getting one
Lottery winners cancel and miss payment deadlines, and those dates go back into the booking system through the season. PermitSnag watches Middle Fork Salmon River and sends you an alert the moment one reappears.
Common questions about the Middle Fork Salmon River permit
Do I need a permit to float Middle Fork Salmon River?
Yes. You need a permit to float Middle Fork Salmon River in Idaho Wild Rivers, and it is awarded by lottery rather than first come, first served.
How much does a Middle Fork Salmon River permit cost?
$6 lottery application or reservation fee + $4 per person per day.
When can I apply for a Middle Fork Salmon River permit?
The application window opens December 1. It closes January 31. Results: February 14.
How many people can be on one Middle Fork Salmon River permit?
24 people.
When is the Middle Fork Salmon River permit season?
Season starts: May 28. Season ends: September 3.
What if I lose the Middle Fork Salmon River lottery?
Lottery winners cancel and miss payment deadlines, and those dates return to the booking system through the season. PermitSnag watches Middle Fork Salmon River for those cancellations and sends an alert when one appears.